Battle of An Loc

The Battle of An Loc was a major battle of the Vietnam War which was fought from 13 April to 20 July 1972 during the Easter Offensive.

The most crucial battle was fought at An Loc, a city that commander Route 13, a paved highway that led directly to Saigon just 60 miles away. NVA artillery fire and a massive infantry and armor attack drove the city's ARVN defenders into an area less than a mile square, and repeated attempts to reinforce and supply them failed. However, the single ARVN division and a scattering of US advisors and combat troops held out with the aid of air power, and the NVA's 66-day siege of An Loc failed to capture the city. The massed NVA troops and tanks made easy targets for the US Air Force, and the NVA and Viet Cong were forced to withdraw after suffering heavy losses. The battle blunted the NVA advance on Saigon and therefore saved South Vietnam for three more years.